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Broke My First Needle

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I broke my first needle today on the CB4500 while I was negotiating a tight turn. I was turning the flywheel manually at the time. With the needle down into the leather (maybe not quite to it's 'full' extent downwards??), I turned my work piece and 'SNAP' went the end of the needle.

Any tips on making sharp machine turns will be appreciated. Incidently, this was a turn of nearly 180 degrees.

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The only advice I can give on the matter (since I'm sewing with a manual machine) is to make sure that when you turn the leather that you aren't lifting, pushing, or pulling...at all. Just rotating.

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The only advice I can give on the matter (since I'm sewing with a manual machine) is to make sure that when you turn the leather that you aren't lifting, pushing, or pulling...at all. Just rotating.

Thanks Mike. Yes, I'm sure it was 'operator error.' I must have been pushing or pulling and not realizing it.

BTW...congratulations to the Crimson Tide for winning the SEC Championship..:)

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Hi, congratulate with the new machine. I have never broken any needles with my 441 clone (same machine as yours, but different brand). The 441 uses a 794 needle, it is a very long needle . Thats because of the high needle stroke of course. Make sure your needle is at the bottom D.C. before you lifting the foot and turn the material. When it is in this position it is protected by the needle guide and will not break. You probably turned the material before the needle was down in the feed dog (under needle plate level), then it will easily break off. Make sure you have found all of that broken needle (measure it against a new).

If not look inside the shuttle race, a piece off a needle can damage your shuttle or shuttle race. I have a position motor on my machine, when I stop sewing my needle stops at the bottom D.C. You must hand wheel until your needle is all the way down after stop sewing. Also when you shall remove your work; lift the foot by the pedal all the way up until the top tread release kicks in. Do not pull the thread direct from the needle, pull out some top thread on the face plate before the needle. This is a safe way to avoid needle breakage.

Good luck

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Hi, congratulate with the new machine. I have never broken any needles with my 441 clone (same machine as yours, but different brand). The 441 uses a 794 needle, it is a very long needle . Thats because of the high needle stroke of course. Make sure your needle is at the bottom D.C. before you lifting the foot and turn the material. When it is in this position it is protected by the needle guide and will not break. You probably turned the material before the needle was down in the feed dog (under needle plate level), then it will easily break off. Make sure you have found all of that broken needle (measure it against a new).

If not look inside the shuttle race, a piece off a needle can damage your shuttle or shuttle race. I have a position motor on my machine, when I stop sewing my needle stops at the bottom D.C. You must hand wheel until your needle is all the way down after stop sewing. Also when you shall remove your work; lift the foot by the pedal all the way up until the top tread release kicks in. Do not pull the thread direct from the needle, pull out some top thread on the face plate before the needle. This is a safe way to avoid needle breakage.

Good luck

This is great help, Trox. Thank you! Shucks, I'm surprised I didn't break the needle earlier based on what I've been doing. Also, regarding the broken needle parts, the tip had broken off at the eye and was stitched to the bottom of my workpiece. Oh....and I should have expounded that my bobbin had gone empty at precisely the same time.. :oops: I'm learning..

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This is great help, Trox. Thank you! Shucks, I'm surprised I didn't break the needle earlier based on what I've been doing. Also, regarding the broken needle parts, the tip had broken off at the eye and was stitched to the bottom of my workpiece. Oh....and I should have expounded that my bobbin had gone empty at precisely the same time.. :oops: I'm learning..

Yes they normally just break in two pieces. You are learning, it is a lot of great stuff about your kind of machine here. Read the pinned post about needle thread sizing. Get the 441 service manual, read up on your machine.

Remember, this is a powerful machine; do not force it by hand wheeling it if it stops in something. Check what stops it from advancing, you might have a bent needle thats hits the shuttle and will make some serious damage, etc. Normally beginners issues are thread tension issues. If possible do your adjustments on the top thread tension disk, leave the bobbin tension screw alone. The screw is small and easily worn out. Thick leather and thread needs much tension, to make a nice tight stitch. Your machine was probably adjusted and sewn of by Bob. Happy sewing, you will get a hang of it.

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Yes they normally just break in two pieces. You are learning, it is a lot of great stuff about your kind of machine here. Read the pinned post about needle thread sizing. Get the 441 service manual, read up on your machine.

Remember, this is a powerful machine; do not force it by hand wheeling it if it stops in something. Check what stops it from advancing, you might have a bent needle thats hits the shuttle and will make some serious damage, etc. Normally beginners issues are thread tension issues. If possible do your adjustments on the top thread tension disk, leave the bobbin tension screw alone. The screw is small and easily worn out. Thick leather and thread needs much tension, to make a nice tight stitch. Your machine was probably adjusted and sewn of by Bob. Happy sewing, you will get a hang of it.

Thanks again, Trox. I found a website where one can download Juki 441 sewing machine manuals, but all they had was the a parts list. I'll keep looking. The manual that came with the machine left me starving for more information. Nothing beats experience for learning, but I surely don't want to damage anything..

Randy

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Thanks again, Trox. I found a website where one can download Juki 441 sewing machine manuals, but all they had was the a parts list. I'll keep looking. The manual that came with the machine left me starving for more information. Nothing beats experience for learning, but I surely don't want to damage anything..

Randy

Hi, send me your email in an PM (personal message, and not in this post, because of spammers) and I send you my kopi in a pdf format. Its only 210 kb big, even Gmail can handle it.

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Hi, send me your email in an PM (personal message, and not in this post, because of spammers) and I send you my kopi in a pdf format. Its only 210 kb big, even Gmail can handle it.

PM sent, Trox..

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PM sent, Trox..

Randy, I sent you the email with the manual..

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